


Membrane Family Night

by electrosad



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Post enter the florpus, clembranes mentioned, family night baybe!, probably ooc but hopefully not that much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-12 23:26:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21234332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electrosad/pseuds/electrosad
Summary: Family Night was by far Dib’s least favorite night of the week. Since Zim had almost ended the world roughly a year ago, and Professor had realized how badly his children really needed him, they’d all decided to make family night once a week, rather than one solid night a year and whatever random times Membrane could get in.





	1. Chapter 1

Clembrane, however, wasn’t really the best for going out in public, so he’d been convinced that once a week the plants in the lab really, really needed some care....and pudding. Aside from the one night, Membrane had also managed to get him to leave them alone occasionally with the reasoning of them needing to spend time with both of their dads. At different times. Alone. 

At first, Dib had been really excited for it- seeing his dad, consistently! The keywords, however, were at first. He’d thought that since Membrane had seen the world almost ended, had been stuck in space prison,flown in a sentient spaceship, and now had a clone of himself that looked vaguely like a goldfish living in his house, he’d be a bit more open to the paranormal....he couldn’t have been more wrong. Of course. Clones were very scientific, son. His dad was so weird. Clones, being trans and gay, fine. ALIENS? Unacceptable! Entirely unacceptable in the Membrane household.

In all honesty, Membrane had tried to listen to Dib’s ramblings, but he didn’t quite enjoy Dib almost crawling on the table in anger in the middle of a restaurant when Membrane said he’d heard of several people with a skin condition like Zim’s. And continue to argue about it in the car. And once they got home. His daughter’s snickering did not help the situation.

Dib had managed to miss the past two nights, both using the excuse of hanging out with Zim (Membrane was usually receptive to that, as he was the only person Dib would voluntarily spend time with.) This night, however, Membrane refused to let his son miss out on more quality time.

“Dad, I don’t wanna go out. Everytime someone from my school sees me out they look at me!” 

“Isn’t that what people usually do when they see someone?” 

Dib huffed. “No- they-...they look at me weird. They know i'm a freak, and all i can do is sink into my coat and try to forget it by the time I get back on monday. And the things we do aren’t even fun!”

“...Well, what if you brought Zim?” 

“If...If i what? I thought it was family only.”  
“Well, this is special, I suppose. If it will make you more comfortable, he can come.”  
  
Dib smiled. “I’ll go tell him! Right now!”

“Son, just tell him at s-” 

“ILLBEBACKBYNINEDAD-” and he ran out the door.

“Eight!” Membrane called out the door.

\---

“Zim! Zim! ZIM open the door! ZI-” He was interrupted by gir opening the door in his face.  
“HI DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIB!!!”

“Oh, hey Gir. Is...Zim here?” 

“Yeah!” 

“...Can i see him?”

“OH!” GIR slammed the door shut, and Dib stood there. Either GIR would be back with Zim within a few minutes, or he’d just knock again and hope Zim heard this time.

A few minutes of waiting...and there was a very angry looking Zim at the door.

“Oh, it’s you.” 

“What?” 

Zim eyed GIR. “GIR told me you were another door-to-door salesman. They’ve been coming all week to- nevermind. Anyways, why did you need me?” 

“Well, we’re having family night tomorrow, and I was wondering if you’d like to come.” 

“I’m not apart of your worm family, Dib!”

“I know that you idiot. I just wanted you to come since my ‘worm family’ is boring and I don’t wanna be bored tomorrow.”

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll be at your filthy house tomorrow.” Zim turned on his heels and kicked the door shut.

“...’Kay then.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dib was basically vibrating waiting for Zim at the door. He hated, hated waiting, but he knew Zim was likely in no rush. Zim didn’t like to hurry for anyone, especially not his worm of a best friend.

“Are you sure he’s coming, son? It seems like h-” Membrane was interrupted by the front door being swung open and almost hitting Dib.

“ZIM HAS ARRIVED... We may leave now.” He yelled, like he was expecting something grand. Which Dib had thoroughly decided, no, he wasn’t getting. At all. 

“...That’s nice Zim. Real cool. Me and Zim are gonna head out to the car-” And with that, he grabbed Zim’s cold little gloved hand and lead him out.

“Listen, Zim, you cannot go around yelling like that and acting like you’re the best thing since sliced bread. My family’ll think it’s weirder then the alien rants, and if I get embarrassed by you in public i’ll sink into the ground and you’ll never find me.”

“Zim CANNOT deny the truth!”

Dib let out a groan. “You LITERALLY-” He stared at the ground and shook his hands but continued whisper-yelling. “You denied being an irken everyday of your life for two years before we were friends. Literally every day. But ANYWAYS, you need to stop.”

Zim checked his- newly painted?- nails. How long had his gloves been off?

“Fine. What are we doing anyways, worm?”

“I told you today at skool, but whatever. Arcade. Gaz picked. Now shut UP and get into the car.”

Zim, by most people's standards, was not the best person to ride in the car with. He continually messed with the air conditioners in the back, and kept asking “ARE WE THERE? ARE WE THERE?” Much to Gaz and Dib’s dismay. Their father, however, seemed rather unbothered. Maybe it was the fact that he was Dib’s only friend and Membrane was just happy he had one. Dib didn’t know.’  
What Dib did know is that he really, really wanted out of this car. Zim had recently toned down his entitlement,realizing he didn’t have to act like an uppity jerk all the time to hide how he actually was. Or, alone, at least. He hadn’t changed in public, and Dib was loathing having to tolerate it. He was about five seconds from strangling Zim when finally, they’d arrived at the arcade.

Zim had practically broken the seat belt trying to get it off, and Gaz was almost frothing at the mouth waiting for Membrane and Dib to get out of the car- needless to say she was excited.

“DAD! C’MON! HURRY UP!” Membrane chuckled, and patted his daughters head.

“Gazleen, we have plenty of time, there's no need to rush-”

“We won’t if you and Dib take another ten years!” 

Zim was...not as ready as he thought he’d been. Maybe he should’ve taken a few more minutes with the seat belt...maybe he should stay in the car- No, what was he thinking? Zim loved crowds! Especially loved people looking at him. And people loved looking at him! Because he was amazing. And...yeah. Yeah! Zim adored being in public. And he was going to win some...video games. That’s what people did in arcades, right? Had to have been, since Gaz had picked.

Entering the arcade was a sensory experience for Zim. It was filled with screaming, terrible little earth children, smelled like pizza and grease (faintly like GIR), and the lights, it was so dark, aside from a few blacklights,making everything glow. His antennae were going crazy under his wig, it was just so overwhelming. 

It was disgusting, but not a different disgusting. Zim could take the familiar disgusting, he decided. While Zim was still standing at the door, Gaz shoved a plastic cup at him. “ThishascoinsgobotherdibBYE-” Gaz wasn’t usually this excited, Zim noticed. She was giddy, and was basically bouncing around the arcade and leading her dad around the arcade. It was like Dib looking at cryptids.

Speaking of Dib, he was grabbing Zim by the arm.

“Get out of the doorway, you’re gonna get in someone's way!” He dragged him over to a row of games. “Your choice, pick one.” He stared at Zim for a second as he looked at the games.

“Zim chooses…..THIS ONE!” He walked up to...space invaders. Of course. Zim still had a knack for destroying things, Dib guessed. Or, at least he thought he did. Zim thought he was really good at destroying things. Half of the time, he wasn’t, at least if he was doing it on purpose. He was even worse, like, terribly, horribly bad at video games. Gaz would’ve wept seeing it. Had Zim ever played a video game? Judging by the random tapping of buttons and basically tearing the joystick out of its socket, he hadn't. He got a game over very quick, and he was not happy with it.

Zim screamed. “It was STUPID anyways! What’s the POINT OF A GAME YOU CAN’T WIN?” Dib flicked him.

“Zim, calm down. We’re in public,dude!” Zim kicked the ground and growled. 

“I won't win anything,” He grumbled.

“Listen, let's just...find something easier? Sound good?” It was really like...talking to a kid. Well, they were kids, but a younger kid. Kinda like Gaz when she was young, except Gaz never got mad about losing. She didn’t lose. 

“DIB!” Gaz yelled. Seemed like she was still on her video game version of a sugar high. “Dad and me had an idea! We’re gonna play a bunch of games and who wins like, overall gets to choose where we’re eating, now hurry up and meet me at the laser tag place thing-” 

“Yeah, sure-” He started, but Gaz was already halfway across the room. 

“We don’t have a chance.” 

“Oh, c’mon Zim, ‘s not that bad!” Dib shrugged.

...They were totally eating at Bloaty’s.

**Author's Note:**

> first fic babey!! more updatez soon...


End file.
